11/13/2009

Chinese Netizen’s attack misplaced

In a way I would say that the attack by the Chinese netizens on LKY is misplaced or misinformed. LKY is after all a politician and doing what he knew best. What he said in America about the need for America’s presence in the region was mainly for American consumption. He could not possibly go there to tell the Americans to pack up and go home. He was just being a good guest and a good politician. No politician in the world can tell their listeners off especially if there is a need to make them happy or to win their votes. Only politicians in Singapore can afford to give its people or voters a dressing down or make outright blunt statements. Singaporeans are used to it by now, and probably love them for being treated like little children. Singaporeans could easily run off phrases like if you are asking for help, what do you expect, eat at hawker centre or restaurant? Or if you have no money, buy smaller flats lah. What’s so difficult? Live within your means if you are a loser. Period. And if Singaporeans migrated, they are called quitters. After all their votes no longer count. But wait a minute. They might have left, but they still have relations and friends here whom they could agitate for being called unfriendly names. LKY was in the US and he could not say the kind of things the Singaporean politicians could to the people. The American audience would not take a public dressing down quietly. It may be our Singaporean culture, but not American. In America, politicians know exactly what to say and not to offend their voters. Only the American voters will show their middle fingers to the politicians. So Chinese netizens, be realistic and don’t anyhow throw your tantrum. Must accept some decorum and no need to behave like hooligans. Hu JinTao is here as our honoured guest and offering us two the Chinese guobaos for 10 years. If we ask, he may even let us have one jiabao for a few years. Let’s be friends ok?

3 comments:

Blue Diamond said...

I believe generally there are three levels of politics:

1. Geo-politics - balance of power.
2. Country-to-country politics, i.e. Inter-national or Bilateral Relations.
3. National Politics or Internal Politics.

We must be clear that the recent LKY's expression in the US is about Geo-politics. It should not affect our bi-lateral relationship vis-a-vis Singapore and China.

As I see it, the Chinese Netizens could not, or deliberately not wanted to, differentiate between Geopolitics and Bilateral Relations.

Hu Jintao is a very wise man. He not only did not show any unhappiness towards Singapore with regard to this recent outburst of our Old Man, but instead he extends a loving hand (Panda is a symbol of Peace, Love, Friendship and Innocence) to Singapore, signaling to the whole world (especially the Americans) that China and Singapore are very close friends.

Anonymous said...

No pragmatic man sails against the wind and current and no small man dares challenge powerful ones.

To adulate and bend over is an art few straight forward man can do.

patriot

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi Blue Daimond, welcome to the blog.
oh politics have many levels. you still have grassroot politics, labour politics, office politics etc etc: )

really, the chinese netizens are just like our netizens, many do not know what is happening and will jump the gun.

the layman will not have the full picture that is for sure.